Wayne Brown Re-elected as Auckland Mayor in Local Elections

The final results of the 2025 Auckland local elections have been confirmed, solidifying Wayne Brown‘s position as mayor. Brown secured a total of 180,130 votes, outpacing his closest competitor, Kerrin Leoni, who received 77,577 votes. The elections saw a significant number of special votes, with over 10,000 cast, though nearly half were invalidated due to issues such as incorrect or outdated enrollment details.

In a statement, Lou-Ann Ballantyne, Auckland Council’s general manager for governance and engagement, expressed satisfaction with the record-breaking number of special votes. “This unprecedented number of special votes shows people were motivated to participate, and then able to easily access voting papers to participate,” Ballantyne remarked. She extended congratulations to all elected members as they prepare to begin their terms from 2025 to 2028.

The council will welcome five new councillors among the governing body, maintaining continuity with the re-election of Brown. In the Howick ward, Bo Burns, a media entrepreneur, has been elected, leading to a change in the local board where Luke Collings will take her previous position.

Several closely contested local board races resulted in narrow victories. In a notable upset, Bianca Ranson edged out Paul Walden by just 18 votes for the fifth seat on the Waiheke Local Board. Similarly, Ingrid Papau claimed the eighth seat in Henderson-Massey with 6,514 votes, displacing Linda Cooper, who had held the position by a mere 20 votes in the preliminary results.

The Puketāpapa Local Board will see Rowan Cant and Brendan Larmer take their seats, narrowly defeating Raphaela Rose by 46 votes. In the Albert-Eden Local Board’s Maungawhau subdivision, Michelle Thorp secured her position with 4,376 votes, surpassing former board member Rex Smith by 190 votes.

With the results finalized, a total of 350,677 votes were returned, representing a voter turnout of 29.3 percent of enrolled voters. This figure marks a decline from the 35.5 percent turnout in the previous election held in 2022. Ballantyne announced plans for a comprehensive evaluation of this year’s electoral process, promising a public report to be made available before the next elections.

Looking ahead, the newly elected members will participate in inaugural ceremonies to mark the start of their terms. “I am especially looking forward to onboarding all 172 members to set them up for success for the next three years,” Ballantyne stated, underscoring the importance of collaboration in governing Tāmaki Makaurau.